Engine-starter.



W. BLACK & E. R. ST. JOHN.

ENGINE STARTER. APPLIOATION FILED 111 :o. 29, 1911.

Patented July8, 1913.

3 8HBET8-SHEET l.

messes:

W. G. BLACK & E. R. ST. JOHN. ENGINE STARTER. APPLIOATIdN IILED 11307.29, 1911. 1,066,985.

2 W m m .w\ fl 8 Q. m i Q W H M a M m m n5 Zn mm" M .Q wu m y A W. G. BLACK & E. R. ST. JOHN.

ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED D130. 29, 1911.

Patented July 8, 1913.

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I I I I NVILLIAM G. BLACK AND ERASTUS 31. ST. JOHN, OF PITTSBURGH, EENNSYLVANIA.

ASSIGNORS F ONE-FOURTH 'IO SAID BLACK, ONE-FOURTI-L TO SAID ST. JOHN, ONE- FOUR'II-I TO W. A. RICHWINE, AND ONE-FOURTH TO A. H. SARVER, ALL OF PITTS ZBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Patented July 8, 1 913.

Serial No. 668.544.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, \Vnaawn G. Enron and Enwsrus R. S1. JOHN, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Penn sylvania, have invented certain new and use- :ful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists of an improvement in starting mechanism for explosive engines and it. has in view to provide means for imparting rotation to the main shaft of the engine, in lieu of the usual cranking mechanism commonly employed, in automobile and other similar motors.

The mechanism comprises a fluid actuated motor, preferably operable by compressed air, adapted to be geared with the main shaft of the explosive engine through the fly wheel or any suitable gearing connected therewith, or with the main shaft. Said motor is suitably mounted for geared engagement with the main shaft and disengagement therc'frmn, provided with automatic release mechanisn'i, in the constriwt-ion shown, and includes a pumping device operable from the main engine for storing fluid pressure, as air, in a storage tank.

One preferred arrangement of the apparatus, together with various features of accompanying detail construction and equipment, is illustrated in the drawings, in which l igure 1. is a view in side elevation of the po .vcr equipment of an automobile provided with our improvement. view showing a hand operated lever for actuating the adjustable frame. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, indicated by the line ll. II. of Fig. 1. Figs. It and lare enlarged detail views in side elevation and plan respectively, of the actuating motor for the main engine shaft. Fig. 5 is an enlarged face view of the interior of the mechanism embodying the driving pinion of said motor, illustrating the automatic release mechanism. .l i g. (3 is a vertical sectional view on the line VI. Vl. of Fig. 5. l ig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. l. Figs. 8 and fl are diagrammatic detail views illustrating belt driven and friction driven mechanism for transmilling motion from the starting motor to the main shaft.

in the drawings, 2

r presents the usual Fig. I. is a detail,

cylinder of an CXPlOSlYO engine mounted upon the customary crank case 3 and provided with the usual supply, exhaust and water circulation connections, etc., and the main shaft l: having the usual fly wheel 7, and any suitable, clutch mechanism for transmission of the power to the driving axleof the vehicle. The tly wheel a or sha'ft El is norided with a gear wheel (3. or a series of teeth mn'responding thereto, for the purpose of transmitting motion therethrough to the main shaft. The adjustable frame 7, of any preferred onstruction or design, is suitably mounted, as by u pivotal bearing 8, on a supporting bracket 9 cl'mnected-with the chassis frame work. whereby the frame 7 may be adjusted toward and from the gear (3 of shaft 4. Mounted on frame 7 is the supplemental or secondary starting motor, which may conveniently eonsist of a pair of tluid actuated cylinders 10. The pistons of said cylinders 'are connected through connecting rods 11 and cranks 12 with a shaft ill, mounted in bearings in the frame 7. Secured to shaft '12, is a pinion lzt which, by the actors 10, is actuated. upon admission of fluid pressure thereto. to rotate the shaft -l, when, by the usual ignilion equipment, the main engine is set into operation. .linion fl is so designed and combined with aulmiuitically releasable clutch mechanism that when shaft l is set into action at a faster speed, it will rotate pinion l-t loosely around driving shaft til. For such purpose pinion 1 f is rotalably mounted around a central hub 1.5 which is keyed to shaft 13 and provided with side plates ll), lli, secured to said 'hub by bolls IT, and between said side plates the pinion l-t is rotatably mounted. The hub to is provided with one or more pawls ttl pivotally mounted at It) and normally thrown out wardly by suitable springs into operatire engagement with a series of ratchet abnlnients 2i arranged nnnularly of the in lerior of pinion l-t. .13 such construction. when the hub 15 is actuated by shaft 12, of the supplemental motor. the pinion 1-1 will drive pinion ti, imparting the desired rotation lo fly-wheel 5 and shaft l.

t pou ignit on occurring in the main cyliip ders fi. lnain shaft I will be dri\en in the usual way. whereby pinion 14', if actuated at a faster speed than that due to the mot r Hit) 5 an idlerand i1 it-bout a tfectmg the motor 10 and its parts.

10, will merely slip around over the pawls 18. Frame 7, being adjustable by the means hereinafter described, may then be adjusted to throw the teeth of pinion 14 out of mesh 5 with the teeth of gear 6.

Fluid pressure for driving the supplemen- -tal motors 10 is stored in a suitable storage tank 22 mounted in any suitable location, as underneath the chassis, and from said storaget'ank by connection 23 and flexible hose connection .24, fluid pressure is communicated LO the valve chest 24 of motors 10.

Inserted in the line of pipe 23 is a controlling valve 25 having an operating handle 26, suitably located at any convenient point, as below the drivers seat, for opening and closing communication to the starting motor.

A branch connection 27 with valve 28 may be led off from the supply pipe of tank 22, as indicated, for the purpose of furnishing fluid pressure for any other use, as for in tlation of tires,'etc.

Storage tank 22-is charged from time to time by a pump 29, mounted on frame 7 in any suitable manner, as by pivotal bearings 30, the plunger of Which pump is actuated through a plunger rod 31 and a crank or cranks 32 mounted on driving shaft 33 having a pinion 34 in intermeshing engagement with pinion24. Connection from pump 29 isbypipe 35, connected with the pump by a piece of hose 86, if desired, at one end, and .at the other end through suitable check valve 36, with pipe 37 leading through valve 38 to tank 22. It will be understood, however, that tank 22 may, if desired, be charged in any other suitable manner, as by an independent stationary pump, or a pump mounted on the vehicle-and operated by means independent ofthe starting motor.

lnterposed in the line of pipe is a twoway valve or cock 39 mounted on the dashboard 40 of the vehicle and provided, on the inner side of the dash, with an operating handleor lever 41. it pressure gage 42, also preferably mounted on the inner face of-the dash, is connected by pipe 43 with the. tank 22, whereby to indicate thepressure therein at all times.

hen it is desired to charge the tank, two-way valve 39 is thrown to registering position. and pump 29 is driven from'the main cnginethrough pinion 14 and gear 34, pinion 14 in such case operating'inerely as Sping around its pawls'lS ""Tn such case conunmiication to such motor is ordinarilycut oft'by valve-25..., Illapk22 bei-1.1g" '-hargcd to the desired limit, as indicated by gage l2, two-way valve 39 may then be closed. opening communication to the atn'iosphere through exhaust port or c0n-.

nection -14. Tifikewise,-'in the ordinary .0per-' ationot the motor in starting, compression \of air through pump 29 will merely have outlet to the atmosphere through valve 39, so that it is in no way subject to back pressure during the starting operation.

The adjustable frame 7 is actuated by any suitable mechanism, as a flexible connection 45 passing over a suitable guiding sheave wheel 46 to an operating lever 47. Said lever may be a foot lever, as indicated in Fig. 1 provided with a pedal terminal 46 and suitable locking or arresting latch 49, arranged to hold the lever in either position, or may, if desired be a hand lever 47 a con neet-ed with the flexible connection 45, as in Fig. 1 By said mechanism, or any equivalent means, frame 7 may be drawn down to bring the teeth of pinion '14 into intermeshing engagement with the teeth of gear wheel 6, sufficiently long to turn shaft 4 to start the engine. Upon releasing the lever 47 or 47*, the frame 7 and pinion 14 may be raised out of such operative position by any suitable means, as a tension spring 50.

While the gearing arrangement embodying gear 6 and pinion .14 are capable of giving good results, it will be obvious that mo tion may be imparted to the main shaft of the engine by any other suitable mechanism, as a belt 51 passing around and driving the pulley 6 on shaft 4 of the main engine, as in Fig. 8. Belt :71 is normally slack and is thrown into driving engagement with said pulleys by a tightening pulley 52 mounted on lever 53 ankle-operable by connecting rod 54 from a suitablelever device within easy reach of the operator, in the same manner as lever 47 or 47. It will be'understood in such-case that the frame carrying the.auxiliary motor may be stationary and that the pump .29-may also be stationary and geared with shaft 13 by intermeshing gears or otherwise as preferred.

In Fig. 9, We show a further modified at rangenient- I for imparting movement from the starting motor to the main engine employing a friction wheel 14" adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the face of a frirtion-actuated pulley 01" wheel (3" mounted on main shaft 4" and operable by a suitable lever 53" and connecting rod 54", in the same manner as abovedescribed. v I

The construction and operation of the invention will be relulily understood from the foregoing description. The starting mechanism is comparatively simple in construction and very compact in design so as to be readily installed without disturbance or change in location of the other portions of the regular equipment.

The advantages of'the invention will'be read ily appreciated callQi'hosesfamilh-n; with theIuse-of automobiles or other uses of explosive engines. lilo; facility of H i 1 ain;

taming a'supp'ly of compressed ai' at all times greatly contributes to the etlielency and availability of the invention, and in its entirety, the mechanism possesses advantageous features which add to the convenience and ease of operating motors of this type.

Having described our invention what we claimis:

1. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine, of a starting motor, gearing adapted to communicate motion from said motor to the main shaft, a stortank communicating with the said auxiliary motor, and a pump adapted to be geared with said main shaft through the gearing of the starting motor for charging said tank, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine, of a starting motor, a pump, gearing arranged to transmit motion from the starting motor to the engine shaft and from said shaft through the motor gearing to the pump, means arranged to adapt said gearing to operative relation, and means providing for automatic disengagement between the starting motorand engine haft upon independent action thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine, of a starting motor,

gearing a.ran, ,ed to transmit motion from the starting motor to the engine shaft, :1 storage tank, a pump therefor, and actuat' ingmeelninism for the pump in driving engagement with the gearing of the starting motor, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine, of a starting motor, a pump, gearing arranged to transmit motion from the. starting motor to the engine shaft and from said shaft through the motor gearing to the pump, and an adjustable frame for the starting motor arranged to effect engagement and disengagement of said gearing, substantially as set forth.

The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine having a gear wheel, of an adjustable frame, a pump and gear on said frame, and a starting motor thereon having gearing adapted to interincsh with said gear wheel and with the pump gear, substantially as set forth.

(3. The combination with the. main shaft of an explosive engine having a gear incinber, of an adjustable frame, a pump and its gear and a starting motoron said frame, and a driving pinion and escapcmeutmechanism operable by said startin motor and adapted to inter-mesh with t e engine gear and with the pump gear, substantially as. set

transmit motion from the shaft to said pinion and to permit of free movement of the pinion at a faster speed than said shaft, a pump geared to said pinion, and means for adjusting said frame, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine having a gear wheel, of an adjustable frame, a motor thereon, a shaft geared with said motor provided with a surrounding loosely mounted pinion, ratchet and pawl mechanism arranged to transmit motion from the shaft to said pinion and to permit of free movement of the pinion at a faster speed than said shaft, a storage tank connected with said motor, and a pump geared with said pinion and arranged to charge said tank, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine having a gear wheel, of an adjustable frame, a motor thereon, a shaft geared with said motor provided with a surrounding loosely mounted pinion, ratchet and pawl mechanism arranged to transmit motion from the shaft to said pinion and to permit of free movement of the pinion at a faster speed than said shaft,

a storage tank connected with said motor, a valve adapted to establish communication from the tank to the motor, and a pump geared with said pinion and arranged to charge said tank, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with the main shaft of an explosive engine having a gear wheel, of an adjustable frame, a motor thereon, a shaft geared with said motor provided with a surrounding loosely mounted pinion, ratchet and pawl mechanism arranged to transmit motion from the shaft to said pinion and to permit of free movement of the pinion ata faster speed than said shaft, a storage tank connected with said motor, a pump geared with said pinion and connected with said tank, and .a valve interposed between the pump and tank adapted to open communicatimi from the pump to the tank or to the atmosphere res wetivcly, substantially as set forth.

il. in a motor propelled vehicle, the combination with the motor shaft and a gear thereon, of a starting motor having a pinion, an adjustable frame therefor, a storage tank connected with thostarting motor, a pump mounted on said fran'ie, geared with the pinion of the starting motor and connected of main engine shaft having a gear-Wheel, an ad ustable'frame, operating mechanism for said frame embodying a foot lever, a

starting motor and pump thereon, gearing adapted toplace the engine gear, motor, and

- pump in driving engagement, a storage tank,

a connection between the pump and said storage tank embodying atwo-way valve and a check valve, anda connection between 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five ,,cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

